Portable electronic communication devices such as personal organizers and radiotelephones continue to grow in popularity. In order to improve transportability, it is generally desired that these portable devices be lightweight and compact. This, in turn, generally dictates a slim and miniaturized product configuration. Accordingly, some devices have incorporated touch-pads to replace conventional keypad and switch assemblies. Touch-pads typically overlay printed circuit boards and electrically connect at one end of the device, consuming little board space and providing a thin assembly. Unfortunately, although touch pads allow for thinner product configurations, users must typically visually affirm their entry by viewing a display on the device. In addition, many consumers prefer tactile feedback (similar to a clicking response) to a key entry or input.
In the past, some designs have attempted to resolve the tactile feedback problem by providing a removable keypad assembly. Thus, in such a device, a user can graphically enter (write, draw and the like) on the touch pad surface of the device using a writing tool such as a stylus, or insert the keypad assembly into the device to overlay the touch-pad surface and enter data via the keypad entry surface. Unfortunately, such a design involves removing components which may be subsequently misplaced or lost. Further disadvantageous, pulling and pushing on the assembly to insert and remove same can add stress or fatigue to the assembly interconnections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,054 to Tyneski et al. has attempted to resolve the separate component problem by providing a hinged assembly. As described, the keypad flips away from the touch-pad via the hinge. However, the device includes two separate entry surfaces and still requires a user to reposition the keypad over the touch-pad for key entry.